04.21.11
Review: The Sweet Science
A.J. Liebling, praised as the greatest boxing writer of all time, doesn’t disappoint. The Sweet Science is an incredible book, illustrating not only boxing, but life and society of the 50’s in the U.S.
This was a time for many great boxers, including Ezzard Charles, Archie Moore, Joey Maxim, Rocky Marciano, and Joe Louis. Liebling not only covered all of these boxers with depth and character, but he did so in a humorous light, satirizing the boxers and even the fans of the time. Though no Oscar Wilde, Liebling brought his own style of pugnacious wit in The Sweet Science.
I could never claim to be a die-hard fan of boxing, or even a casual viewer. Even so, someone as historically blind to the world of boxing as me could enjoy the richness and value of the lives and stories covered in Liebling’s writing. The ‘Brown Bomber,’ a name for the great Joe Louis whose name I actually did recognize, had one of the most intimate and passionate stories. The gradual decline of his career painted a wrenching portrait of the struggle that comes greatest to a fighter: the great mind maelstrom.
Touching a plethora of human emotions, and utilizing them beautifully to weave the stories of each of these fighters, Liebling earned his title for boxing storytelling.